If you are reading this blog, chances are you are a literacy coach, reading specialist or elementary teacher who has strong beliefs about readers workshop and balanced literacy. And in light of all of the podcasts, blogs, articles about the science of reading, you might be wrestling with some of the instructional practices that have…
Are you a pre-service teacher who is looking for support as you are preparing for the Foundations of Reading test? Jennifer Yaeger has decades of experience helping countless participants take and pass the test. With her experience as a classroom teacher, reading specialist and literacy coach as well as her breadth and depth of content…
If you are a teacher, you know the power of a great read aloud in your classroom. You have those beloved books that you go back to year after year, because they provoke strong emotions and meaningful conversations with your students. Those books help you teach multiple strategies and best of all, model for students…
Virtual Institute for Reading Specialists Looking for opportunities to collaborate with other Reading Specialists across the country? Reimagining ways to strategically accelerate student achievement because of lost reading and writing time? Hoping to learn and try out new ways to assess and deliver reading and writing instruction remotely? Interested in finding ways to collaborate with…
As teachers work creatively to consider adaptations to many of the face-to-face classroom experiences that we value so much, we’d like to share one classroom experience that lends itself naturally to remote teaching and learning: Book Clubs! Below you will find a series of tips for organizing remote student book clubs that support student engagement,…
As secondary educators and parents, there are a number of questions on our mind as we seek to find creative, relevant and authentic learning experiences for adolescents throughout school closures. How are teens making meaning of their lives during the pandemic? What is capturing their attention and how are they responding to this dramatic shift…
This is a unique time of year to pause and reflect on what we are grateful for. With time scarcity and many competing priorities as educators, we don’t want to forsake the practice of gratitude. In fact, the act of giving thanks changes our brains and makes us happier, healthier people which in turn helps…
Whether you are acing common core shifts or cursing them, there are resolutions to be made by all of us as we head seven years deep into the post-common core era. Find a leverage point in the New Year and give yourself time to build toward success. Try these common core “shifter” resolutions on for…
Educators implementing balanced literacy practices are noticing the difference. Explicit modeling of strategy is empowering students to apply approaches in novel situations. Thinking aloud is revealing previously cloaked cognitive processes. Accountable talk is raising the rigor of academic conversation and collaboration. Independent practice is leading to authentic application and differentiated support for all learners. Practitioners…
Conferring is the key to personalized learning in Readers’ and Writers’ Workshop. A conference is a one-to-one instructional approach allowing the educator to accomplish three critical objectives: Research – Quickly assess the student. Decide – Decide what to teach the student. Teach – Teach the student by modeling and guiding practice. Conferring Focus Be sure…